Sit (Yes, Sit!) Your Way To Better Health

Sitting can really affect your overall health—for the good and the bad. Here's what you're doing wrong without even realizing it.

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Crossing Your Legs

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The guys are on to something with their manspreading. "Crossing your legs shifts your weight to one hip," Litzy says, which may cause the joint to ache. Instead, keep both feet flat on the floor with your hips slightly higher than your knees—raise your chair if you need to. "This way, your weight is resting on your thighs and glutes rather than on your tailbone," she says. That would just lead to a different kind of pain—in the you-know-what.

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Leaning on One Armrest

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Crunching down to one side can cause your muscles to become short and tight, again putting you at risk for spasms, Queiros says. And that's not the only problem: The constant pressure on your elbow can lead to carpal tunnel–like symptoms, including pinched nerves and tingling fingers, says physical therapist Karen Litzy, a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. (Try finishing that presentation then.) Use the armrests for their intended purpose—to keep your arms at a comfy 90-degree angle.

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Hunching Your Shoulders

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Bad news if you're a chronic sloucher: "Poor posture can cause spasms in your mid back," says chiropractor Jason Queiros, of Norwalk Sports and Spine in Connecticut. The twitching, which can be painful, is a defense mechanism— your muscles' way of saying you need to cut it out before you really hurt yourself. So tuck a lumbar pillow between your lower back and the chair. "It'll support the natural curve of your spine, forcing you to sit up straighter," he says.

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Keeping Your Monitor Way Too Close

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Turns out, your mom wasn't totally wrong about sitting too near the screen: Your eyes have to work harder to focus on an object that's close up than they do on something farther away—which can lead to eyestrain, especially after many hours at the office, says Rebecca Taylor, M.D., an ophthalmologist in Nashville and a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The result: tired, achy eyes and headaches. So where should your monitor be? About 25 inches away, according to the AAO, though Taylor says you may have to play around with it. "Start by extending your arm to its full length," she says. "Place your monitor there, and see how that feels after a few hours." Better, we'll bet.

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Hanging Your Head Forward

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I don't do that, you're thinking. But there's a good chance your head is drooping past your shoulders even right now. It happens when you're reading, whether you're at your computer or lounging with, say, your favorite magazine. Not good: Every inch your head moves forward adds about 10 pounds of pressure to your neck and back, which can lead to sore muscles, headaches, and more, Queiros warns. "When you catch yourself doing it, tighten your abs and bring your chest up and your shoulders back." Then, before you get back to work, stretch your neck from side to side. Curled up with a good book? Take a 10-minute break every hour or so, he says.

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